#FlyDSA: 'There are so many things that Doncaster Sheffield Airport does well'

“People love the fact that they can park straight across from the terminal and walk inside.

“Check-in is quick and easy and we can now get people through security even quicker meaning that they can get to the stage that everyone likes best, sitting in departures relaxing with a drink.

“The fact that we are just a 30-minute drive for many people in South Yorkshire is a real pull and the friendly Yorkshire welcome they receive is the icing on the cake.”

And not only is the airport’s popularity on the rise with customers – with a record 1.2 million passengers choosing DSA to travel to one of its 43 destinations last year – it is fast becoming a place people want to work. A jobs event open day at DSA last month was attended by more than 400 people.

“People like the idea of working here – it’s a nice place to be,” added Ian.

“We had a great turnout at the event, with hundreds of people coming along to chat to staff who already work at the airport, and have a peek around the terminal building.

“We currently have around 50 airport roles to fill – some full time, others just for cover during the busy summer months – in everything from handling agents and security to premium lounge and car parking.

“The open day gave us a great opportunity to showcase what we’re doing here and we were thrilled with the interest. We were also delighted with the calibre of people we were hearing from.

“It’s the first time we’ve held a big event like this and what we discovered is that people really like the airport and were excited at the prospect of working here with us.

“We’ve already had a lot of applications off the back of the event, and 10 of those positions have already been filled.

“If anybody is interested in a job at DSA, and couldn’t make it on the day, they can still visit our website’s careers section to find out more.

Here at The Star, we’re making it our mission to promote DSA as the first choice for millions of holidaymakers and businesses who, in turn, could pump billions into our own economy.

With the new link road putting the commute to DSA from Sheffield city centre at just 25 minutes, we are keen to help banish the decades-old habits of travelling outside the region to catch a plane, and instead focus on attracting more investment and business to our own city, rather than continue to see it sent outside the region.

And as The Star comes to the end of its #FlyDSA campaign to promote Doncaster Sheffield Airport we really hope it has made people in the region reconsider how they fly.

“We’ve had a fantastic year of growth where we saw more passengers than ever before fly from DSA,” says Chris Harcombe, head of aviation development at the airport, which opened its doors in the region in 2005.

“Thanks to the opening of the Great Yorkshire Way motorway link road last February, there are now 6.2 million people within an hour’s drive of the airport.”

Emma Loughlin, aged 32, of Dronfield, said: “When my husband and I flew with DSA recently, from leaving our house, to landing in Paris, took just three hours – we were amazed!

“It was a friend of mine who recommend we try it and, when we checked the website, the flight times and prices were really good.

“We arrived at the airport at 5.45am, parked right outside the terminal door, checked in, went through security and were sitting at the bar with a drink in hand by 6am.

“On the way back, we went home down the link road and it took less than an hour from touching down in the UK to walking in our front door.

“I just hope that, as the airport grows, it will offer more and more locations, because it’s just so convenient and pleasant I’d love to travel from there more. I’d recommend DSA to anyone.”

* Visit Fly DSA for details.

LETS MAKE IT WORK

To support Doncaster Sheffield Airport, use it.

* Start your search here: www.flydsa.co.uk

* When booking a trip via a travel agent, ask for it by name: “Can I fly from Doncaster Sheffield Airport?”

Or: “Does DSA fly there? Can you add DSA into the mix and let me know the cost from there?”

Unless you ask for a specific airport you might not be offered it as an option.

Some travel agents will always offer you the closest airport to you, while others, out of habit, will only offer the more established airports unless asked.

* Businesses might consider targeting the cities and markets the airport already serves

* Ask the other airlines, such as Jet2, to fly into DSA - so you don’t have to go to Leeds or journey over to Manchester.